Panama is poised to become the "next Costa Rica", though tourists have yet to begin flocking to the central american country. The Capital, Panama City, is home to the Panama Canal and oweing to the former US military presence is one of the continets most "american" capitals. The country offers a variety of eco-tourism opportunities as well as a capital that mixes a modern feel with a colonial center. ///Ricardo Chavez of Colombia stands atop the Miraflores Visitor Center Observation Deck and watches a ship pass through the Miraflores Lock in the Panama Canal